This invention relates to golf simulating apparatus and in particular to a system capable of simulating a golf driving range and/or a golf game. The golf simulator is designed to provide both the golfer and the non-golfer with many of the features that he or she would normally enjoy during a visit to an outdoor driving range or golf course.
The prior art has provided numerous devices designed to simulate a golf game. The earlier devices were primarily of a mechanical nature and included a simulated golf ball mounted for impact by a golf club coupled with structure for generating information as to how far a real golf ball would travel in response to the same impact. Later devices incorporated additional sensing means for generating information relating to the direction of travel of the simulated ball, e.g. hook and slice information. More recently, sophisticated mountings for the simulated ball were devised enabling the ball to move about three mutually perpendicular axes in an effort to simulate more closely the movement of an actual golf ball after impact. Other quite sophisticated simulators have been devised including systems capable of storing data representing the contours of a simulated golf green coupled with means for detecting the velocity vector of a rolling ball and computing means for computing an imaginary trajectory of the ball rolling on the simulated green based on the detected velocity vector and the stored green surface contour data.
In spite of the very considerable time and effort which has been expended by others in developing a suitable golf simulating system, most of the golf simulators and practicing devices presently available possess certain disadvantages which have reduced considerably their acceptance by the public.
One common problem with prior art golf simulators relates to the rapid deterioration of the sensing mechanism. It has to be kept in mind that at the moment of impact, the golf club may be moving at a velocity of close to 380 kilometers per hour. The impact of the club head with the sensing mechanism has created serious problems in many cases as a result of the repeated heavy shocks and resulting vibrations. This is a particularly serious problem when the golf simulator is operated on a commercial basis since equipment failure gives rise to lengthy down-time and loss of potential revenue coupled with often expensive servicing and maintenance procedures.
Most of the prior art golf simulators also failed to provide the player with sufficient visual information as to genuinely simulate a golf game. Although many prior art simulators do provide information in various formats to the player, the type of information provided usually did not leave the player with a feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment and accordingly the players soon became tired of the game with the result being that the equipment gradually fell into a condition of non-use.